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What Kind of Pain Does Multiple Myeloma Cause?
What Kind of Pain Does Multiple Myeloma Cause? From bone pain, nerve pain as MM symptoms to the side effects of nausea, fatigue and misery that chemotherapy causes…
Hi David- I was diagnosed one year ago today with multiple myeloma (MM). I’ve been on chemo for one year. I am still have been getting sick and experiencing side effects.
If you can recommend anything that can help me feel better I would truly appreciate it. I have a tumor in my lower back next to my spine. I don’t know if they will ever do surgery but I am hoping to walk again. I would like to do things on my own which right now.
I am very limited and have trouble with my lower lumbar which I’m going in for an MRI sometime this month.
I’ve heard you have maybe 2 to 5 years to live don’t know how true that is but I really like to know a little bit more. I’m frightened that I’m hoping I can find someone who can shed light on what I’m going through. Lisa
Hi Lisa-
I am sorry to read of your MM diagnosis and I am especially sorry to read of all of your health challenges while undergoing chemotherapy.
It is common to feel bone pain as a symptom of multiple myeloma. The fact is that the majority of MM patients experience side effects from chemotherapy. Please see the studies linked below.
The bottom line is that there are a host of therapies for reducing the toxicity that the MM patient (you) is exposed to. And these are simple methods that your oncologist will have no trouble accepting and may even welcome the idea that his patient (you again) is managing their MM and their chemotherapy well.
One of the studies in the post below talks about an induction therapy call “RVD Lite.” RVD or Revlimid, Velcade and dexamethasone is the standard induction chemo combination for newly diagnosed MM patients. This may be the “induction” or beginning chemotherapy regimen that you were given.
The only difference between regular RVD and RVD Lite is the dose aka less toxicity. RVD is a lower dose which means less toxicity which means less nausea, less pain, etc.
I will post studies below that cite CBD oil for its ability to manage bone pain, anxiety and the nausea that can come with chemotherapy.
If you are older than 70 years of age, your oncologist should have considered “low dose revlimid” for you. Further, there are a number of “integrative therapies” that research has shown can reduce the toxicity of chemo and therefore help the patient feel better.
- How old are you?
- What was your stage of MM when you were first diagnosed?
- What were your symptoms when you were first diagnosed? Did you have bone pain? Were you fatigued aka tired all the time? How is your kidney function?
I don’t mean to sound nosey Laura. I’m just trying to figure out your situation.
Let me know, thanks.
David Emerson
- MM Survivor
- MM Cancer Coach
- Director PeopleBeatingCancer
Recommended Reading:
Multiple Myeloma Patients are ALL “Toxicity-Vulnerable”
“Are you a “Toxicity-Vulnerable” Multiple Myeloma Patient? “This prospective multicenter study demonstrated that chemotherapy toxicity is common in older adults, with 53% experiencing at least one grade 3 to 5 toxicity.”
It isn’t just old people who are “vulnerable to chemotherapy toxicity.” Everyone suffers collateral damage when they undergo chemotherapy. I’m not just talking about the short-term side effects that people associate with chemotherapy such as hair loss and nausea. I’m talking about heart, brain and nerve damage. Common side effects that the majority of multiple myeloma patients suffer from…”
Multiple Myeloma Chemotherapy, Allergy, Hypersensitivity, Side Effects?
“I went through multiple cycles of many different multiple myeloma chemotherapy regimens, including an Autologous Stem Cell Transplant (ASCT). I exhibited hypersensitivity as well as short, long-term and late stage adverse events (side effects).
Full disclosure. Four years of traditional toxic cancer therapies from my diagnosis of multiple myeloma (MM) in 2/94 did little more than provide brief remissions and a host of short, long-term and late-stage side effects.
As a long-term multiple myeloma survivor at this point in my life, I am more likely to die from my late stage side effects or a therapy-induced secondary cancer than I am of multiple myeloma. Therefore the question “How do people die from cancer?” is intensely personal to me…”
Opportunities for cannabis in supportive care in cancer
“Cannabis has the potential to modulate some of the most common and debilitating symptoms of cancer and its treatments, including nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, and pain…
| Symptom | Conclusion |
|---|---|
| Nausea and vomiting | There is evidence that cannabis or cannabis-derived products can alleviate chemotherapy-induced nausea and/or vomiting, and an inhalable form could be better for patients unable to retain oral medications. However, most data are from the 1980s, and cannabis has not been compared with modern anti-emetic regimens. |
| Anorexia and loss of appetite | Medical cannabis and THC specifically, have led to increased appetite in humans and laboratory animals, mostly in noncancer contexts thus far. |
| Pain | Research is promising for relieving pain acutely from various sources including cancer, perhaps even to reduce the dose of opiates. However, pain surfaces via many different mechanisms and it is not yet clear what contexts in which cannabis could have an analgesic effect. |
| Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy | Evidence is promising from studies in people with HIV, trauma/surgery, and diabetes as well as cancer-related animal models, but there is not yet evidence in humans with cancer. |
| Gastrointestinal distress | There are promising data from research in patients with inflammatory bowel disease, but none yet in patients with cancer. Diarrhea can also be a side effect of cannabis use. |
| Cognitive impairment | There have not been studies with cannabis for cancer-related cognitive problems. Recreational users and patients report acute complaints in memory, attention, and executive function, though long-term effects are unclear. Some studies suggest potential benefits, especially from cannabidiol. |
| Anxiety and depression | Most research to date is epidemiological and results are unclear. |
| Sleep disorders and fatigue | Very few studies have been conducted, but limited evidence suggests that cannabis is promising for alleviation of clinical sleep disorders (not yet in patients with cancer). |
| Cardiac, metabolic, and bone health toxicities | Too few studies have been conducted to make conclusions recommending or discouraging cannabis for these purposes. |